The Official Beer Thread

[Guitar Preacher]



So, I'm heading out to Grand Rapids and eventually Indianapolis for work this Monday on a four day trip. I'll have a rental car and will be making the drive down from Grand Rapids to Indianapolis on Wednesday and will be leaving out of there Thursday night. What breweries/shops should I try to visit?

For reference, I have access to all the standard Founders/Bells/New Holland stuff down here in VA's distribution, but we don't get things like Jolly Pumpkin or Prarie. Never had a Three Floyd's or Upland beer in my life. Would love to find some Central Waters barrel aged stuff, Wulver, Prarie stuff, Jolly Pumpkin stuff, and maybe Dark Horse. I would assume I have no shot at any Upland lambics, right?

Obviously I'm being way too optimistic, but so far, my hopeful visit list consists of:

Grand Rapids:

Perrin Brewing
Brewery Vivant
Shorts
Odd Side Ales
Founders

Hopcat
Sicilano's
Rishi's Int'l Beverage

Indianapolis:

3F
Pipeworks
Upland
Sun King
Bruggie Brassiere


Any other must see's or do's?

Greenbush is a south-western michigan brewery I've heard great things about but have yet to pick anything up from or make the trip to. I'm in South Bend,IN which has everything 3F available and Prairie stuff (though it's not moving). As far as I know you'll have to cross over into Chicagoland to get anything Pipeworks. Jealous if you're going to Brewery Vivant! Chicago market gets it but we don't.

 

[hc4thehc]

Framinghammer for me, 3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek and a gift for later for my mate.

 

[b1os]

Skull Splitter by Orkney Brewery is absolutely delicious. Perfectly balanced liquorice notes.

 

[alexg]

Opinions on this BA thread? Basically, a guy found out through backchannel means about an unannounced beer being released, so he posted about it on Beeradvocate. The brewery didn't appreciate that at all, and pretty much told him as much. This brewery also asks for help from volunteers in bottling. The guy wasn't a volunteer, but he somehow managed to get access to one of those pre release bottles, which aren't supposed to even be drank until the release day since they're bottle conditioned sours, much less given out to people. He posted a short review on the BA thread, prompting the brewery to ban him from purchasing this beer from them at all. I'm surprised it hasn't been picked up by beer blogs, it's a pretty unique situation. I support the brewery though, the guy seems like a dick who just wanted to brag that he was the first to know something.

 

[brp2]

Ha. That thread is a mess. The op didn't come off as much of a dick, though; to me it reads like the brewery and BA in general are a bit uptight.

 

[hc4thehc]

My last bottle!.. See ya next Easter, Boskeun!..

 

[b1os]

Bonator Doppelbock. Delicious.

 

[archibaldleach]

Finally got around to trying Founders Dissenter. Good stuff, but there are a lot of similar beers I like that are considerably easier to get.

 

[hc4thehc]

Oh why not!..

 

[hc4thehc]

Deelish!..

 

[hc4thehc]

Time for something more special... And stronger (15.2; RB says 17.2 though)... And more expensive... It is, well: it's just ******* insane...

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/brewdog--nogne-o--mikkeller-black-tokyo-horizon/137813/

 

[erictheobscure]

Was surprised and excited to see Blind Pig on draft at a bar, but it confirmed that, despite my efforts, I'm just not an IPA guy.

 

[archibaldleach]

^ Nothing wrong with that. More IPAs for people like me.

 

[hc4thehc]

This was probably the biggest disappointment of the year... Had two small sips...

 

[cocostella]

Never had, but will avoid. Their other stuff's been good...